Thank you, volunteers!

Thanks to everyone who showed up at the warehouse this past Saturday and worked together to pull it together! We are fortunate to have the space to store and sort food for the Emergency Food Pantry, Backpacks for Kids and Community Share programs, and grateful to you for the time and energy you invested there to support these programs.
Whether building shelves, labeling, sorting and storing, cleaning, moving or packing, you made a difference. You built shelves to store canned vegetables. You moved a whole lot of beans, baked goods, pasta, pastries, and more. You unloaded, moved and reloaded a large shelving unit for better accessibility. And you were great self-starters.

(click photos for larger view)
Northwest Portland Ministries has ongoing volunteer opportunities available and will certainly have more work parties. We hope you share your experience with friends and family and encourage them to visit our blog, read our newsletter and become involved.
Thank you again!
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

The Need to Feed

CNN.com reports, the sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches. A non-profit group, the School Nutrition Association, says 425,000 more kids are participating in the national lunch and breakfast programs this year than last year. Click photo, left, or here to read more.
On the international side, actress Susan Sarandon talks briefly in another CNN report about what she has seen and her favorite hunger charity. "In my trips overseas I saw the choices people are forced to make. I saw how difficult it is to get a toehold to lift yourself up from poverty because you’re always struggling to feed yourself one more day. With a gift that helps them feed themselves ... they become responsible for helping lift up a neighbor through “Passing on the Gift” ... in their communities." Read the full article here or click photo at right.
Here in Oregon - where 75,000 children need emergency food in an average month - requests for emergency food are skyrocketing to record levels according to a recent article by the Oregon Food Bank. Meanwhile, Public News Service-Oregon reports our state has jumped from 18th in the nation to third in the most recent state rankings of food "insecurity." Read more here.

Warehouse Work Party This Saturday!

Join the work party with service club volunteers from Lincoln High School!

What: We need lots of help this weekend getting organized.
When: Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13th, 2008, 1:30 - 3:30
Where: NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton,

We will be moving shelving & making our spaces more organized. We also expect a food donation on Friday so we'll sort that if we have time (or if some volunteers are needing less physical types of activities).

More Volunteers Welcome!

Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org <=== click here!
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

Volunteer Signup Status

We are in a process-development mode, testing different volunteer sign-up tools that we can use online. Currently, we are using free functionality called Sly Reply to create and manage events.

The "Volunteer Here!" icon on the left, just above the Blog Archive, has been changed to winter. If you click this winter photo, a new window will open which explains how to sign-up for the Warehouse Work Party this Saturday.

As we gain experience with this tool, adjustments will be made. Thanks for you patience and continued support!

Opportunities with the Northwest Portland Ministries Emergency Food Pantry

Northwest Portland Minstries adopted an emergency food bank program last December. We’ve been running it “as-is” this year, as we've learned more about how food banks work and about what our community needs. We are now gearing up to make significant improvements and changes. Read more in our newsletter, then see below for the many related volunteer opportunities available.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kelly@nwpm.org.

Shop the Docks on Monday Morning at the Oregon Food Bank Warehouse: Job Description: Choose one or more Monday morning (between 9:30-AM-12:30 PM) per month. Select fresh produce at OFB (7900 NE 33rd) and deliver to the NWPM Food Pantry (1808 NW Irving) for our regular Tuesday distribution day. Help put away fresh produce & stock shelves.

Staff the Food Box During Open Hours: Tues & Fri. 10:30-1:30 (2 x a month) Job Description: Greet clients and sign them in, Assist with filling food requests, stock shelves, maintain neat shelves and racks. Basic clean-up duties. Address: 1806 NW Irving, First Immanuel Lutheran Church

Warehouse Volunteer: (Flexible Scheduling) Job Description: Help sort & pack up donated food. Help get items from the NWPM Warehouse (2145 NW Overton) to our distribution site (1808 NW Irving). Vehicle required.

Delivery Person: Help get perishables out into the community -quickly-via our Community Share Program. Vehicle, Bike trailer or little red wagon needed. Flexible scheduling.

Make clear & attractive signs! Do you have great art & design skills? We need basic signs made helping recipients know how many of various items are available for them to select, pictures of food, numbers & other such.

Food Box Team Leaders: We are looking for a few very responsible volunteers who can take the lead for volunteer-run shifts during distribution hours or for stocking work parties. Must be willing to open, close & supervise other volunteers. Advanced Training provided.

Friday Morning Trader Joe's Gleaning: Job Description: Use your large vehicle to pick up several bags of donated produce and other perishables at about 9 AM (2 Fridays a month) to be distributed that day. If you don’t have a car, you can still help us sort the donated food!

Bread Pick-up at Franz Bakery (NE 19th & Everett): On Wednesdays at 8:15 AM a volunteer gets bread for use in the Food For Kids BackPack Program, and delivers it to the NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton.

Organize a Food Drive for NWPM Nutrition Program: At your work, school, congregation, or via a party! Assistance available!

Food Pantry Recycling Volunteer: we need help managing the many boxes & other materials. Flexible schedule, vehicle required.

Handy People & Plumber Wanted!: NWPM is looking for a skilled plumber to donate his/her time to put in a sink in our food pantry. We also need people to create shelving, fix things etc. All expenses paid. Talk to Kelly for specifics.

Please note: If addressing hunger is of interest to you please know we’d love your help. If these opportunities are not a fit, we’d like to hear how you’d like to contribute!

Contact Kelly@nwpm.org

If you know anyone or any organizations that might be able to supply volunteers, please click the small white envelope below to forward this post to them!

Volunteers Kick-off Community Share Program...

A huge "Thank You!" to the families from Springwater Environmental Charter School and other volunteers who came to NWPM's warehouse on November 18th!
With the energy and enthusiasm of these volunteers, we were able to sort, pack and distribute several boxes of food to many neighbors in need in our community. This effort represented the kick-off of our Community Share Program & Delivery of Community Share Food Boxes to ten locations. (More information about Community Share will be comming soon.)
Watch this quick video of the work "party!"

Please note! We will be doing another NWPM Food Pantry Workparty with service club volunteers from Lincoln High School!
When: Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13th, 2008.
Where: Two locations - (1) NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton, and (2) NWPM Food Pantry at 1808 NW Irving (First Immanuel Lutheran Church)
More Volunteers Welcome!
Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org
(503) 221-1224 ext.105